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Published by melanie jean juneau

Melanie Jean Juneau serves as the Editor in Chief of Catholic Stand. She is a mother of nine children who has edited her kid's university term papers for over a decade. She blogs at joy of nine9 and mother of nine9. Her writing is humorous and heart warming; thoughtful and thought-provoking. Part of her call and her witness is to write the truth about children, family, marriage and the sacredness of life. Melanie is the administrator of ACWB, a columnist at CatholicLane, CatholicStand, Catholic365 , CAPC, author of Echoes of the Divine and Oopsy Daisy, and coauthor of Love Rebel: Reclaiming Motherhood.
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Those are amazing pictures, Melanie. Thank you for sharing a part of the past with us. I had no idea they had artificial legs in 1890. The outdoors baby cage, interesting! Just love the little boy’s smile, with the new shoes and the little girl and her doll after a bombing. Someone was there to photograph those moments, most of those photographers may be gone, but their sentiments still live on for us.

In 1976, as a junior at Texas A&M University, I was a pledge of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity. I had this bright idea to take pets to what was then called a “nursing home” to brighten the day of the elderly people living there. People thought I was nuts. “They’ll never let dogs into a nursing home!” Well, they did. Not only dogs, but cats, birds, snakes, lizards, any kind of pet. One of our members even brought a gallon container with some angel fish in it.

You should have seen the smiles on the faces of those “old people.” They were the happiest people on Earth that day, and the pets were having a pretty good time, too, especially those dogs.

I made it a monthly service project, and I’m proud to say that 36 years later my chapter still visits what is now called an “assisted living home” with their pets. It’s one of the larger service projects the chapter has each month.

Sadly, most assisted living homes won’t allow pets, wrongly I believe because they bring in germs. I think the world is too germophobic. Our immune systems need germs to help create antibodies for the more dastardly diseases.

A friend of mine dresses her jack Russell in seasonal coustumes, everything from an easter bonnet, pumpkin suit and reindeer antlers. he pulls a little cart filled with treats at a retirement home. Everyone lights up!(of all breeds to bring!)